NBA

Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill has regrets about going to the NBA Bubble -- saying he feels helpless to take real action in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.

“It’s just sickening. It’s heartless. It’s a f*cked up situation,” Hill said after defeating the Orlando Magic in Monday's playoff game.

"You’re supposed to look at the police to protect and serve. Now, it’s looked at harass or shoot."

When asked what the Bucks organization and players can do -- since the shooting took place in Kenosha, WI (about 45 minutes from their home arena) -- Hill didn't hold back his thoughts.

"We can’t do anything. First of all, we shouldn’t have even came to this damn place, to be honest. I think coming here just took all the focal points off what the issues are."

Hill continued, "But, we’re here, so it is what it is,” Hill said. “We can’t do anything from right here, but I think definitely when it’s all settled, some things have to be done."

"F THE GAMES AND PLAYOFFS!!! THIS IS SICK AND IS A REAL PROBLEM WE DEMAND JUSTICE!"

Utah Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell is shifting his focus from the NBA playoffs to the horrific shooting of unarmed black man Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI ... saying this is exactly why players have been speaking out about social injustice.

Blake was reportedly walking back to his vehicle after breaking up a fight between two women ... when a white officer followed him and shot him in the back 7 times as Blake's children watched from inside the car.

Blake was flown to a nearby hospital where he remains in serious condition.

Mitchell is one of many sports figures speaking out about the incident ... saying, "ITS CRAZY I DONT HAVE ANY WORDS BUT WTF MAN! THIS IS WHY WE DONT FEEL SAFE!!!!"

FYI -- Mitchell is currently wearing "Say Her Name" on the back of his jersey during the NBA restart in honor of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by three cops executing a no-knock search warrant in March.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Amir Garrett also spoke about the shooting, saying ... "They put 7 rounds into Jacob Blake in front of his children. I watched the video, you telling me he can’t be tazed? He immediately has to be shot?"

"Smh apparently black lives still don’t matter. I am outraged this morning."

K.C. Chiefs star Tyrann Mathieu tweeted, "Damn they shot that man 7 times.... why can’t 3 officers subdue one male? I truly need answers y’all comment on everything else......"

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara added ... "Attempted murder.. I pray he survives."

Hall of Famer Ray Allen spoke out as well, saying, "No person deserves to be treated this way. Can we all agree on this? Where is our human decency! What happened to "protect and serve."

"It looks more like harass and shoot!"

The Milwaukee Bucks -- who usually play 45 minutes from Kenosha -- released a statement on the incident, saying, "We stand firmly against reoccurring issues of excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging the black community."

"Our organization will continue to stand for all black lives as we demand accountability and systemic change on behalf of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sylville Smith, Ernest Lacy, Dontre Hamiltion, Tony Robinson, Joel Acevedo and countless other victims."

"We will work to enact policy change so these incidents no longer exist."

LeBron James has that Mamba Mentality on Kobe Bryant day ... wearing a Mamba tribute jersey on his way to play the Blazers in game 4 of their playoff series.

LBJ walked into the building sporting a limited-edition Bryant tribute jersey ... with #24 on the back and #8 on the front.

Nike only offered a small number of these custom jerseys on its website on Monday -- but James has some pull over there.

The Lakers have a much bigger tribute planned for the game -- the entire team will wear special Black Mamba jerseys, which were actually designed by Kobe a few years before he passed.

The jerseys feature a snakeskin pattern and a special patch on the shoulder to honor Gianna Bryant.

LeBron and Kobe were extremely close -- James famously got a Kobe tribute tattoo on his thigh in the wake of his death. He also gave an emotional address to Laker Nation in the first home game following the tragedy.

But, don't expect the Portland Trail Blazers to just let the Lakers run 'em over -- Damian Lillard is also hoping to honor Kobe tonight by playing his ass off and fighting for a victory, just like Kobe would have wanted.

NBA superstar Damian Lillard is paying tribute to Kobe Bryant in the booth ... by dropping a Mamba-inspired track for NBA 2K21 -- and SNOOP DOGG is on it!!!

The Trail Blazers guard teased the song featuring the hip-hop legend and rapper Derrick Milano on Kobe Bryant Day (8/24) ... officially announcing "Kobe" will be released when the game comes out September 4.

The teaser starts off with a post-game interview from 2013 when Kobe was asked about Dame's rookie performance ... and famously said, "that boy's serious, man."

The lyrics are all about the Lakers legend -- including lines like, "ever since a young boy, I been getting buckets ... pull it back, Kobe," and "I don't even gotta look, I take the shot and hear it swish ... I don't even touch the rim, when I pull up it's just swish."

Of course, Lillard is no stranger to rapping under the name Dame D.O.L.L.A. ... and used some pull as being one of the 2K21 cover athletes to get the song on the game's soundtrack.

"When I found out I was gonna be on the @NBA2K cover the same year Kobe was on the legends cover, I decided to use my access to the 2K soundtrack to pay tribute to Kobe through music," Dame said of the track.

Turn left on Kobe Bryant Blvd?!

That's what your GPS will sound like in the future because Kobe Bryant is getting a street named after him right near Staples Center, where he balled out for almost 20 years.

Herb J. Wesson Jr. -- the president of the L.A. City Council --  made the announcement Monday morning (8/24) ... saying the plan is in the works.

"Figueroa St. will soon be Kobe Bryant Blvd. between Olympic & MLK," Wesson said.

In other words, Kobe Bryant Blvd. will essentially stretch from the L.A. Coliseum through USC and go just past Staples Center.

"Kobe’s legacy is bigger than basketball. Kobe Bryant Blvd will be a reminder to everyone, young and old who drive down it, there is no obstacle too big and that with the #Mambamentality," Wesson added ... "Anything is possible."

Kobe Bryant played every single season of his 20-year NBA career with the L.A. Lakers -- but they didn't move to Staples until 1999.

Kobe is especially beloved in Los Angeles -- and there have been rumbling about honoring Kobe in this way ever since he passed away back in January.

8/24 has already been declared Kobe Bryant Day in Orange County, where he lived with his family for so many years.

Drake is paying tribute to Kobe Bryant on 8/24 by showing off his huge Black Mamba shoe collection ... and his closet  legit looks like a real-life Foot Locker!!!

The shoe closet at Drake's Toronto compound is legendary -- it's the same place where he's got an entire basketball court with Kobe's #8 and #24 displayed on the walls.

So, on Kobe Bryant Day, Drake treated his fans to a tour of his Kobe shoe collection -- with appears to include 90 pairs of KB kicks.

Drake's Kobe collection isn't just cool -- it's wildly expensive. His Kobe 5 Preludes alone are fetching around $1,200 on resale sites.

He also has multiple versions of the Kobe 8s ... including the Venice Beach, Python and the WTKs, with the latter currently valued at more than $1,000 a pair.

We noticed there weren't any kicks from Kobe's Adidas days on Drake's shelf. Remember, the Kobe 2 was widely panned by shoe critics back in the day -- and the shoe played a major role in Bryant leaving Adidas for Nike.

Kobe would have turned 42 on Sunday.

A storage locker treasure hunter hit the JACKPOT -- finding an abandoned unit packed with Kobe Bryant treasures ... and now one of the stars of "Storage Wars" is involved.

Here's the deal ... just like on the show, storage units are auctioned off if the owner stops paying the bills.

In this case, the locker was in the L.A. area -- bidders only got a brief glimpse as to what was inside -- and then the auction began. The person who scored the unit won with a bid of $375.

Here's the breakdown of the score -- 35 pairs of shoes, jerseys, Lakers practice gear, a Lakers all-access badge that says, "Mamba," tax paperwork, and the pièce de résistance ... a mink coat (we're told there are pics of Kobe wearing the coat!).

The stuff -- once properly authenticated -- is likely worth a fortune!

The buyer immediately called "Storage Wars" star Rene Nezhoda -- who has experience finding buyers for high-end storage treasures -- and Rene bought all of the contents for a cool $13,000.

Rene tells us ... the items will NOT end up on "Storage Wars" because they're not filming the show due to the pandemic. Instead, Rene plans on selling the items through a reputable auction house.

It's a timely score for Rene too ... Kobe's birthday was Sunday, and today is Mamba Day -- 8/24.

BTW, there are rumblings the unit belonged to Kobe’s former stylist. But, a rep for the stylist says, "that’s just not the case.”

Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell apologized to Luka Doncic for calling the Mavs star a "bitch-ass white boy" ... squashing potential beef with a pregame hug and handshake Sunday.

If you missed it ... Harrell went viral Friday for his trash talk of the Dallas point guard -- when cameras caught the L.A. player mouthing the words to Luka after a big first-quarter bucket.

Of course, given the nation's current climate and battle for racial equality ... Montrezl was heavily criticized for the chatter -- with ex-NBA player Jay Williams saying straight-up, "I can only imagine if Luka Doncic had said something like that to you."

Montrezl says he took it upon himself to clear the air with Luka before Game 4 on Sunday ... and in video of their conversation, you can see there was no bad blood at all.

"Nothing but respect for Luka," Harrell said of their pregame embrace. "He understood the heat of the battle and he said it didn’t bother him only RESPECT."

For his part, Luka said he accepted Harrell's apology ... adding, "No worries."

"There’s a lot of emotions on the court, especially this is playoffs," Doncic said. "Sometimes you say things you don’t want to say. He apologized. I respect that, so no problems.”

Clippers coach Doc Rivers says he addressed everything with Harrell in house ... telling reporters over the weekend that Montrezl MUST be more careful with his words.

"I said to him, ‘Hey, I don’t think you meant anything racially by it.’ He said ‘white boy,’ but I don’t think there was anything racial intended," Rivers said. "But we are in a very heightened climate and you have to be careful."

Tobias Harris took a scary fall on the basketball court that could've seriously injured the guy, or possibly even killed him -- but fortunately, it looks like he's going to be okay.

The 76ers star was playing in Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics, when at one point late in the third quarter, he went up for a defensive rebound ... but got his legs clipped by Jayson Tatum midair, which tilted his body and made him land hard on the paint headfirst.

You could see he was in excruciating pain as he writhed on the floor and couldn't get up at first. The refs stopped the game and the Philly's medical staff rushed out to the court to evaluate him. It appeared they signaled for trauma too, which meant it was serious.

It also looks like there might've been some blood spattered on the floor, which the med team was quick to wipe up as well.

The good news is that Tobias was able to get up and walk off the court on his own accord. He's said to have suffered a left eye laceration and was being evaluated for a concussion in the locker room.

It could've been much worse ... thank goodness it wasn't.

LeBron James could quit the NBA and get hired as a caption editor somewhere -- 'cause he knows a funny clip of himself when he sees one, and what to say about it too.

The King played up a viral moment that was captured during Thursday's game between the Lakers and the Blazers -- during which a hyped up LeBron got up from the bench after realizing it was his team's ball after a play by Damian Lillard. It goes from 0-100 real quick.

Watch ... LeBron -- at first, not sure if it is in fact the Lakers' ball -- questions whether they get the possession or not. He soon realizes it may, in fact, be their ball and jumps up from his seat on the bench and starts screaming it with certainty, and all the Lakers agree.

It was hilarious to see it live during the game, especially since LBJ was mic'd up and his enthusiasm came through so clearly on TV sets at home. Well, LeBron took notice of the memes and jokes ... and did one himself that takes the cake.

He captioned the clip, "How you act when someone take your ball at the park when you with your suburban white friends COMPARED to when you’re with your friends from the hood! 🤣🤣🤣🤣."

Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker were out again Friday night, making it hard to believe it's just a friendship thing.

They looked super stylish leaving the super exclusive Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica.

They've been out on the town since Devin left the Orlando bubble a week ago. His first stop -- Nobu in Malibu with ... Kendall Jenner.

They were also seen on the beach in the 'Bu this week, and it looked pretty cozy.

With road trips, dinners, beach excursions, even ordinary things like taking Devin's dog to the vet ... not that tough to connect the dots.

Ex-NBA player Gerald Wilkins allegedly punched a woman and a man at an Atlanta gas station around 3 AM -- and that's why he was arrested for battery, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Gerald Wilkins -- younger brother of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins -- was arrested on August 18 and faces 3 criminal charges, including battery.

Now, we've obtained the police report which spells out the allegations against him ... and it's not great.

Wilkins told cops he got into an argument with a female rideshare driver who refused to let him inside her car unless he ordered correctly through the app.

The driver claims Wilkins got so heated, he punched her in the shoulder -- and that's when 2 male witnesses jumped in to break it up.

One of the male witnesses claims he was punched in the face by Wilkins during the melee.

A 3rd witness, who was pumping gas at the time, seemed to back up the female driver's story ... that Wilkins was the instigator.

Wilkins says he called 911 and claimed to be the real victim -- telling the operator he was attacked.

But, cops didn't believe Gerald's story -- and ultimately arrested him.

Records show he's facing 3 criminal charges -- 2 counts of misdemeanor simple battery and 1 count of misdemeanor criminal trespass.

Daddy's BACK!!!

NBA guard Mike Conley has cleared quarantine and will play for the Utah Jazz on Friday ... just days after leaving the NBA bubble to witness the birth of his new baby son, Elijah.

As we previously reported ... it was a QUICK turnaround for the vet -- the 32-year-old left the Orlando bubble on Sunday and rushed to Ohio be with his wife, Mary, who was due on August 27.

The new baby knew dad had work to do, so Elijah cut to the chase and entered the world later Sunday night ... with papa present for the big moment!!

Conley rushed back to the bubble on Monday and entered a 4-day quarantine in hopes of being ready for Game 3 of the Jazz's first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets ... and it's just been made official he will suit up on Friday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

It couldn't have been better timing for Conley -- his squad is currently tied 1-1 with the Nuggets ... and Utah's got momentum after a huge Game 2 win.

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri says RACE was the main reason he was disrespected and assaulted by a cop at the 2019 NBA Finals -- stating, "It's because I am Black."

50-year-old Ujiri has finally broken his silence about that bombshell body cam video which shows him clearly being shoved TWICE by an aggressive white deputy in the final moments of Game 6, as the Raptors were winning the title.

The video clearly proves the deputy was LYING when he claimed Ujiri instigated the altercation that night. Ujiri was calmly trying to present his security badge to the deputy when the guy flipped out, cussed him out and shoved Masai twice in the chest.

"The video sadly demonstrates how horribly I was treated by a law enforcement officer last year in the midst of my team, the Toronto Raptors, winning its first world championship," Ujiri said in a statement.

Ujiri says the moment should gave been one of the greatest of his life -- a reward after years of grinding -- but it was spoiled by that horrible deputy.

"I was reminded in that moment that despite all of my hard work and success, there are some people, including those who are supposed to protect us, who will always and only see me as something that is unworthy of respectful engagement. And, there’s only one indisputable reason why that is the case - because I am Black."

Ujiiri says he understands that he was ultimately vindicated because he had the resources to take on law enforcement -- and he fears for those who don't.

"The only reason why I am getting the justice I deserve in this moment is because of my success. Because I’m the President of a NBA team, I had access to resources that ensured I could demand and fight for my justice. So many of my brothers and sisters haven’t had, don’t have, and won’t have the same access to resources that assured my justice. And that’s why Black Lives Matter."

Ex-NBA player Gerald Wilkins -- younger bro of Dominique Wilkins -- was arrested Tuesday on 2 counts of battery and he's still behind bars, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 56-year-old was taken into custody in Cobb County, Georgia on August 18.

Records show he's facing 3 criminal charges -- 2 counts of misdemeanor simple battery and 1 count of misdemeanor criminal trespass.

We're working on the details.

Wilkins was a 2nd round pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and went on to play for the Knicks, Cleveland Cavs, Grizzlies and  Orlando Magic ... before finally retiring in 1999.

It's been a rough year for Wilkins who's facing a bunch of criminal charges stemming from multiple alleged incidents over the past few months.

Officials say he attacked a work colleague back on June 9 ... and was also involved in a domestic incident on June 6.

Before that, Wilkins was charged with assault for allegedly trying to force his way into a woman's home back in May.

LeBron James says he will officially join Team Biden -- and will actively campaign for the V.P. and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump in the presidential election.

"We are at a time where we need change," LeBron said on VICE TV's "Cari & Jemele: Stick To Sports."

"In order for change, it's all about leadership -- and leadership starts at the top."

Remember, LeBron campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign -- even joining her on stage for a rally in Ohio.

Now, LeBron says he'll get his political machine up and cranking again to help Biden/Harris get into the White House this time around.

LeBron's issues with Donald Trump are well documented -- they've traded shots for years.

Bron has called Trump everything from a bum to a clown. Trump insulted Bron's intelligence.

So, when Jemele Hill -- who's also gone after Trump -- asked about Bron's intentions to help out Biden, James said it was an obvious decision.

"I think what's known don't need to be said," Bron explained on the show (premieres Wednesday at 10 PM ET).

Back in 2016, Bron had a ton of support from NBA players -- including J.R. Smith who joined him on stage during the Clinton rally.